Container with tape opening device



Aug. 20, 1968 s. E. RoHowETz CONTAINER WITH TAPE OPENING DEVICE FiledMarch 28, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY s. E. ROHOWETZ 3,397,810

Aug. 20, 1968 CONTAINER WITH TAPE OPENING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 28, 1966 INVENTOR United States Patent O 3 397,810 CONTAINERWITHTAPE OPENING DEVICE Stanley Edward Rohowetz, Barrington, Ill.,assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of NewJersey Filed Mar. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 538,020 Claims. (Cl. 220-53)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container in which the entire end may behinged upwardly without the use of a tool or implement and yet is strongenough to withstand internal pressures created when the product is heatprocessed. A slit close to the end seam and extending less than 360around the side wall of the container is covered with a laminated tapeclosure having an inner tape adhered along the marginal side portionsthereof to the side wall, and a narrower outer tape which is adhered tothe inner tape so that when a tab on the end of the outer tape is pulledoutwardly, the outer tape and the portion of the inner tape between itsadhered marginal side lportions are pulled free of the container topermit the lid to be hinged upwardly about the portion of the side wallsbetween the ends of the slit.

This invention relates generally to hermetically sealed containershaving an easy opening feature, and to the means for effecting suchopening. In particular, the opening feature is dependent upon a noveltape sealing and opening device for containers which may be heatprocessed after filling.

In recent years, there has been considerable development in the consumerpackaging iield which has added appeal to the consumer because ofvarious convenience features which they offer. However, although it iscomparatively simple to incorporate easy opening features in containersmade of relatively soft, tearable materials such as paper and plastic,it is more dicult in the case of relatively rigid sheet metal cans whichare closed by means of permanently sealed end members secured to thecontainer body by such means as a double seam. A number of manualopening features have been incorporated in the ends of such containers,but an opening tool is generally necessary when it is desired to removethe end together with a narrow portion of the body adjacent the doubleseam.

One such opening feature which removes the entire closure end togetherwith a portion of the body adjacent the double seam is shown in U.S.Patent 3,186,581. Although this container has proven to be successful inthe packaging of comestibles that are not processed subsequent topackaging, such as cotee, it is not amenable to the packaging ofcomestibles which must be heat processed after having been hermeticallysealed within the container.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a manuallyopenable hermetically sealed container.

Another object of the invention is to provide an easily opened containerwhich may be manufactured at high speed on automated equipment.

A further object is to provide a tear tape easily opened container whichmay be subjected to conventional high temperature food processingwithout leaking.

Yet another object is the provision of a heat processable can which maybe easilyopened merely by th'e manual removal therefrom of a sealingtape.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the 3,397,810 Patented Aug. 20, 1968"ice following description, which, when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, disclosed a preferred embodiment thereof.

The above objects are accomplished by providing a container having amanually openable laminated tape closure secured over an 'opening in thecontainer. The inner laminate covering the opening has a peripheralportion overlying and secured to a marginal portion of the containersurrounding the opening. The outer laminate overlies and is secured toan underlying portion of the inner laminate, whereby removal of theouter laminate also removes that portion of the inner laminateunderlying the outer laminate thereby opening the container.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank for the body of the container in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along the line3 3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line4-4 in FIG. l;

FIGS. 5, 7 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary views of a portion of theblank in FIG. 2, but showing modifications ofthe tape closure;

FIGS. 6, 8 and 10 are sectional views taken substantially along thelines 6 6, 8-8 and 10-10 in FIGS. 5, 7 and 9 respectively;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a container showing another embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line12-12 in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line13-13 in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is the same view as FIG. 13 but showing a portion of cach of theclosure laminae being removed inthe initial stage of the openingoperation;

FIG. 15 is a partial plan view of the container embodying a modifiedform of the invention; and

FIG. 16 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantial- Iy along theline 16-16 'in FIG. 15.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, thedrawings illustrate a laminated tape closure, generally designated 20,comprising an inner or closure lamina 21 and an outer or opening lamina22, each made of metal foil, paper, plastic or a composite material, Theinner lamina 21 is preferably of weaker tear strength, either by virtueof thickness or material, than the outer or opening lamina 22, for apurpose which will be explained hereinafter.

The laminae are bonded or secured together by adhesive means 25 whichmay be a non-peelable adhesive such as a thermosetting or thermoplasticresin adhesive, or a solder, dependent upon the material or materials ofwhich the laminae are made. The non-peelable adhesive 25 should providea bond which will resist peeling beyond the tearing strength of theinner or closure lamina 22.

The inner or closure lamina 21 may be similarly bonded to a containeraround the container opening by nonpeelable adhesive means 26.

Either or Iboth laminae 21, 22 may be coated with adhesive or, if thelaminae lare of thermoplastic material, they may need no adhesive and bebonded together by a suitable application of heat and pressure.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 10, the laminae 20 are bands or tapes, andthe opening in the container is a slit 30 that extends around less than360 degrees of the body wall 31 of a container 32. At least the upperend of the container 32 is closed by an end member 33 that is secured,as by a double seam 34, to the body 31.

The slit 30 may be disposed close to the bottom of the double seam 34,in which case, a marginal portion of the inner tape 21 lies within thedouble seam 34. This construction is useful when a small headspace abovethe product is desired.

Both ends of the slit 30 terminate short of the body side seam 35,leaving between them an unslit portion 36 of the body 31 that serves asa hinge portion about which the top of the container may be swung afterthe closure has been torn open.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner tape 21 is bonded at 26 to the containerbody 31 along the margins or peripheral portions of the tape 21. Thesemargins are spaced laterally from the slit 30 and also extend aroundboth ends of the slit 30 to seal the opening, thus leaving a centralportion 38 unbonded and free from the container wall. Therefore, when atab 41, at the end of the narrower tape 22 is manually gripped andpulled, the tape 22 and that free portion 38 of the inner tape 21 towhich tape 22 is bonded are simultaneously removed to uncover the slit30.

The tab 41 is not bonded to the closure tape 21 or the container bodywall 31 and may be an integral part of the narrow pull tape 22, foldedback upon and bonded to itself, as shown in FIG. 3. The tab may also bea separate member 42 bonded to the end of the tape 22 as shown in FIGS.5 and 6.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pattern of the bonding area of theadhesive may, at the end adjacent the tab 41, terminate beyond then endof slit in a pattern of gradually decreasing width that ends in acentral point directed to the tab, and could be of the generallywedgeshaped form shown in FIG. 7. This pattern causes the full effect ofthe initial pull on the tab 41 to be concentrated at the leading point43 in the bond and thus facilitates initial tearing away of the inner orclosure tape 21 along diverging lines to the lateral edges of the bondbetween the tapes 21, 22.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the inner tape 21 is weakened, as by a centralopening 44 at the end of the bonded area so that the force of theinitial pull on tab 41 is directed simultaneously to opposite lateralportions of the bonded area between the tapes to assure proper tearingof the inner tape 21 to the full width of the bonded area.

In FIGS. ll 'through 14, the inner lamina 21 comprises a countersunkpanel 51 united by a countersink wall 52 to an outwardly disposed angeor curl 53 that overlies a curl 55 which extends around the upper end 56of a wall 57 of a container 58. The adhesive 26 which unite-s the curls53 and 55 extends inwardly from the outer edge of curl 53 to a lineextending around the top of curl 55.

The outer lamina 22 is a band or tape that extends circumferentiallyaround, and is bonded to the inner lamina 21 with its upper or outeredge disposed over the top of the curl 55. The tape 22 is thus bonded tothe inner lamina 21 over an area of the latter that is not bonded to thecontainer. Therefore, when the tab 41 is pulled, the tape 21 removeswith it that free portion 38 of the closure lamina 21 bonded to it asshown in FIG. 14, thereby opening the closure by releasing its centralpanel 51.

In the containers shown in FIGS. 1 through 14, the closure 20 may besecured to the container before it is filled through a top opening. Inthe container shown in FIG. l, closure 20 may be applied while the bodyblank is iiat, as in FIG. 2, and filling is effected through a fullyopen end of the container which is then closed by the end member 33. Inthe container of FIG. 1l, filling may be effected through an opening 61in the closure 20, and the opening subsequently closed and sealed by adisc 62.

In FIGS. 15 and 16, the inner lamina 21 of the closure 20 is in the formof a disc bonded along -a peripheral area 65 to an underlying margin 66around an opening 67 in Wassaggio 4 a wall 68 of a container. The outerlamina 22 is in the form of a Iband or ring substantially identical inshape and dimensionstto those of the opening, overlying and in alignmentwith the opening. The -ring 22 is bonded throughout its under surface tothe closure disc 21, and a pull tab 71, which extends radially outwardlyfrom the ring and is not bonded to the disc 21, affords means forgripping'the ring to pull and -remove the central 'portion of theclosure 20 from 'the opening.

The outer lamina 22 may be weakened, as by a notch 72 at the junction ofthe ring and tab to direct initial tearing across the ring `so thatsubsequent tearing of the inner or closure lamina progresses in acircular direction around the edge of the opening.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacricing all of its material advantages, the formshereinbefore described being merely preferred embodiments thereof.

I claim: 1. A container having an outwardly projecting end searn, aneasily opened laminated tape closure secured over a slit in thecontainer, said slit positioned close to said end seam and extendingless than 360 around the :body wall of said container, said closurecomprising:

an inner tape covering the slit in the container and having a marginalportion overlying and secured to the portion of the container adjacentto said slit;

and an outer tape overlying and secured to an underlying portion of saidinnerl tape, said outer tape having a tab which is not secured to thecontainer thereby providing a grip whereby the outer tape and theunderlying portion of the inner tape bonded thereto may be torn from theclosure to open the container.

2. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein nonpeelable adhesivemeans bond said marginal portion of the inner tape to said container,and bond said outer tape to said inner tape.

3. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer tape overliesand is secured to that portion of the inner tape which overlies saidopening in the container.

4. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ta=b is a separateelement secured to the end of the outer tape.

5. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner tape issecured to said container along continuous strips spaced from said slitthereby leaving a central area of said inner tape unsecured to thecontainer wall, and said outer tape is narrower than said inner tape andis substantially as wide as and overlies said central area of the innertape, whereby said central area of the inner tape is readily removedwith the outer tape in the opening operation.

6. A container as set Iforth in claim 5 wherein said outer tape issecured to said inner tape by adhesive rneans substantially coextensivewith said central area and extending to a terminal point beyond the endof said slit and short of the tab end of said tape, said inner tapebeing weakened at said terminal point of the adhesive means, wherebyinitial tearing of said inner tape .is facilitated.

7. The container set forth in claim I6 wherein said inner laminacomprises a countersunk panel united `by a countersink Wall to anoutwardly disposed liange having a peripheral portion bonded to thecontainer surrounding said opening, and wherein said band is disposedalong said countersink wall and inwardly of the outline of said bondedperipheral portion of the inner lamina, whereby removal of said bandtears with it a strip of said countersink wallv thereby freeing saidcountersunk panel and opening the container.

8. A container as set yforth in claim 5 wherein said outer tape issecured to said inner tape Iby adhesive means substantially coextensivewith said central area and terminating fbeyond the end of said slit andshort of the tab end of said second tape in a pattern of graduallydecreasing Width to a central point near said tab to facilitate initialtearing of the inner tape.

9. A container as set forth in claim `8 wherein said pattern issemicircular.

10. A container as set forth in claim i8 wherein said pattern terminatesin a relatively sharp point.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,127,087 3/ 1964 Spees 229-513,186,581 6/1'965 Schneider et al 220-53 3,302,818 2/1967 Balocca et al.220-53 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner.

